Identifying Project Management Processes

 Examine the Project Life Cycle

 Recognize Process Groups

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 The Project Life Cycle

 Project phases:
 A group of related project activities resulting in the completion of a major
deliverable.

 Project life cycle:

 The manageable, sequential phases of work in a project.
 Consists of four or five phases.

The phases of a project life cycle

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 General Characteristics of a Project Life
Cycle
 Projects differ and display certain common characteristics.
 At the beginning, cost and staffing levels are low.
 Reaches the peak once work is carried out.
 Drops rapidly upon project completion.

 Stakeholder influences, uncertainties, and risks are:

 High at project start.
 Low at project end.

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 Project Governance

 Methodology carried throughout the life cycle of a project.

 Contains project phase reviews.
 Management review is done at the start of every phase.

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 Governance Activities in the Project Life
Cycle
 At the beginning of each phase:
 Verify and validate the former assumptions.
 Analyze risks.
 Explain in detail the processes required to achieve a phase’s
deliverables.
 Phase-end review is necessary to ensure completeness and
acceptance.
 Phase-end review signifies the start of the subsequent phase.
 Project phase can be closed or project terminated when:
 Huge risks are involved.
 Objectives are not required to be met.

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 Phase-to-Phase Relationships in a Project

 Projects that are multi-phased follow sequential process.

 Phase-to-phase relationship types:
 Sequential
 Overlapping
 Iterative

 Factors that decide the types of relationships in between phases:

 Level of control
 Effectiveness
 Degree of uncertainty

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 Progressive Elaboration

 A process of development in which additional layers of detail are

defined over the course of a project
 Successive layers of detail are added to the plans.
 Deliverables from one phase are approved before work begins on
the next phase.
 A phase may begin before approving the deliverables of a previous
phase if risks are acceptable.
 Provides greater level of detail as the project progresses.

Detail is added to plans in progressive elaboration

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 Project Management Processes

 All the activities that underlie the effective practice of project

management.
 Produces project and product deliverables.

The project management processes

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 Project Management Inputs, Tools and
Techniques, and Outputs
 Project management processes are implemented through inputs,
tools and techniques, and outputs.

The relationship between project management inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs

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 Project Management Process Groups

Process Group Description

Involves defining the need for a new project or the new phase of an existing
Initiating
project, and obtaining a commitment to move forward.

Used to create the project scope, refine objectives, and develop a strategy to
Planning
accomplish the work in the project or phase.

Involves carrying out the work mentioned in the project management plan in
Executing
order to meet project specifications.
Includes regular monitoring of project performance and tracks progress that
Monitoring and was made in the project or phase. They also include changes that are to be
controlling made to the plan when required and make corrective actions needed to get
back on track.
Involves finalizing the project activities, handing off the project or phase
Closing output, gaining formal acceptance, tying up administrative and contractual
loose ends, and finally closing the project or phase.

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 The Initiating Process Group

 The initiating process group includes processes to:

 Develop a project charter.
 Identify stakeholders.

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 The Planning Process Group

 The planning process group includes processes to:

 Develop the project management plan.
 Collect requirements, define the scope, and create WBS.
 Define and sequence activities, estimate activity resources and
durations, and develop schedules.
 Estimate costs and determine budget.
 Plan quality.
 Develop the human resource plan.
 Plan communications.
 Plan risk management, identify risks, perform qualitative and
quantitative risk analysis, and plan risk responses.
 Plan procurements.

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 The Executing Process Group

 The executing process group includes processes to:

 Direct and manage project execution.
 Perform quality assurance.
 Acquire, develop, and manage a project team.
 Distribute information and manage stakeholder expectations.
 Conduct procurements.

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 The Monitoring and Controlling Process
Group
 Processes include:
 Monitoring and controlling project work.
 Performing an integrated change control.
 Verifying and controlling the project scope.
 Controlling the schedule.
 Controlling project costs.
 Performing quality control.
 Reporting performance.
 Monitoring and controlling risks.
 Administrating procurements.

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 The Closing Process Group

 The closing process group includes processes to:

 Close a project or phase.
 Close procurements.

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 Project Management Process Group
Interactions
 Project management process groups interact with each other and
are not discrete, one-time events.

Initiating Planning
Processes Processes

Monitoring
and Executing
Controlling Processes
Processes

Closing
Processes

The process group interactions

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 The Project Management Knowledge Areas

Overview of project management knowledge areas and project management processes

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 Reflective Questions

1. Which processes will you use often while executing a project?

2. Which activities will you perform frequently during the initial phase of
a project life cycle?

3. How do you think that developing the ability to tailor each of the five
project management process groups to meet the needs of a specific
project or phase will improve your chances of success?

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